Mattapoisett Field Full of Incumbents

on

The final day for submitting nomination papers for the upcoming elections found Mattapoisett’s ballot featuring mostly incumbents running unopposed.

Only two races on the ballot have competition: Two contenders are vying for Water/Sewer Commissioner: Christopher Jaskolka and William F. Hubbard. On the Planning Board, Mary Crain, who was appointed by the board after a resignation left a vacancy, will be running against Paul Osenkowski.

Selectman and Board Chairman Jordan Collyer is seeking reelection unopposed, as are the following: Trustees for the Library James Dildine and Mary Magee; Moderator, John Eklund; Mattapoisett Housing Authority, Margaret DeMello; Constables Paul Magee and Kenneth Pacheco; Herring Inspector, Robert Martin; Tree Warden, Roland Cote; Community Preservation Committee’s William Hall and Michelle Hughes; and, finally, Board of Health member Daniel Lee.

No one has stepped forward to fill an empty seat at the Old Rochester Regional District School Committee table, leaving that slot vacant at this time.

Cary LeBlanc has submitted papers for an opening on the Board of Assessors, which is presently vacant.

And lastly, Charles Motta is an incumbent seeking re-lection on the Mattapoisett School Committee, while the other slot is being vied for by Patrick LeClair. Last day to register to vote is May 1, and Election Day is May 21.

By Marilou Newell 

Elks Student of the Month

on

The Elks of Wareham Lodge No. 1648 sponsors the Elks Student of the Month and Student of the Year Awards for students enrolled in local area high schools.  The criteria used in nominating a student includes a student who excels in scholarship, citizenship, performing arts, fine arts, hobbies, athletics, church, school, club and community service, industry and farming.

We congratulate senior, Alyssa Seifert, Rochester for being selected by the Old Rochester Regional High School faculty and staff.  Alyssa has been an incredible mentor and tutor this entire year in guidance.   She invests her time, patience and energy weekly tutoring physics lessons with skill and consistent support, She is a natural teacher.   Always dependable, always positive!  Alyssa is a leader and teacher in her local church also.  This aspiring teacher is enrolled in 3 AP courses, 2 Honors courses and Art.  She has truly made a difference for the young students around her. She has a wonderful class and school spirit.

 

ORCTV Offers Candidates Air Time

on

ORCTV is offering all Marion and Rochester candidates for public office in the upcoming elections an opportunity to deliver a message to the public on ORCTV.

Each candidate can videotape a five-minute statement about themselves and the office they are seeking. Statements will then be aired on ORCTV?s public and government channels until the day before each  town?s election. This offer is being made available to all candidates.  Contact Don Cuddy at ORCTV to schedule an appointment. Phone 508 748-1600 or e-mail  doncuddy@orctv.org

YMCA Welcomes New Executive Director

on

YMCA Southcoast is proud to announce and welcome Joseph Marciszyn as its new Executive Director at the Mattapoisett YMCA in Mattapoisett, MA.

Mr. Marciszyn brings with him over ten years of experience working with several Ys in New Jersey.  He has served many roles from Youth and Teen Director developing and nurturing young minds, to Senior Program Director, engaging and fostering healthy living.  Joe’s role as the Executive Director will be to oversee and manage the day to day operations of the Mattapoisett YMCA including the summer day camp at camp Massassoit, in addition to developing and maintaining programming that will engage in youth development, develop healthy living and foster social responsibility for our community.

“We are pleased to have Joe join our Y family and welcome the positive energy he brings to the Mattapoisett YMCA and YMCA SOUTHCOAST, states Nancy Bonell, COO and Vice President of Operations at YMCA SOUTHCOAST.   We’re confident our members will be well served by Joe’s enthusiasm.”  Joe has strong ties to YMCA Southcoast as he was a camper at Camp Massasoit when he was in grade school.

“I’m excited to be back in New England and to be an integral part of the future of Camp Massasoit and the Mattapoisett YMCA,” states Mr. Marciszyn.  “I look forward to becoming a role model for our camp counselors and staff and working to strengthen community across the south coast.”

The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility.  With five branch sites serving more than 37,000 people, YMCA SOUTHCOAST has been working to meet the needs of our community for over 150 years.  The Y engages people of all ages – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors.  Everyone is welcome at the Y and financial assistance is available.  For more information about YMCA SOUTHCOAST, visit one of the branches in Dartmouth, Fall River, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, and Wareham or online at ymcasouthcoast.org.

6th Grader’s Ranks First in the Nation

on

The results are in! Carly O’Connell, a sixth grade student at Old Hammondtown School, MA is the first place winner of the SIFMA Foundation’s InvestWrite® student essay competition, sponsored by the SIFMA Foundation and SIFMA member firms. O’Connell claims top prize for the middle school division of the Fall 2012 national competition.

As a culminating activity for the country’s 600,000 annual Stock Market Game™ participants, InvestWrite® challenges 4th-12th graders to analyze an investment scenario and write an essay offering investment advice. Students consider real-world economic events and trends, conduct research online, develop investment recommendations and, in the process, gain the skills to prepare for their own financial future. Carly O’Connell is one of 20,000 students each year across the nation who take the InvestWrite challenge.

In her essay, O’Connell wrote an imaginary blog about the end of the Hostess Twinkie. She commented on what would happen to the stock price of the company in the market to buy Hostess. Due to the massive media coverage of the loss of America’s beloved dessert, O’Connell  wrote, “I invested in Flowers Foods because beyond the fact that it seemed to be financially wise, it is a company that I had personal interest in owning. Through the Stock Market Game, I learned to trust my instincts and invest in things I liked.”

The Fall 2012 winning InvestWrite essay composed by O’Connell was chosen through rigorous judging by thousands of teachers and industry professionals who evaluate students’ analysis of asset allocation, the investment potential of various publicly traded stocks, the students’ overall understanding of the stock market, and the manner in which they express their investment ideas in essay form.

“InvestWrite and the Stock Market Game program require students like Carly to monitor daily global market activity, business trends and economic factors that drive investments to determine the short and long-term growth potential of industries, companies, asset classes and specific stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.” said Melanie Mortimer, Executive Director of the SIFMA Foundation. “They are then asked to make sophisticated, thoughtful recommendations that reflect what is expected of college and career-ready students”

The SIFMA Foundation’s InvestWrite competition bridges classroom learning in mathematics, social studies, language arts, business and economics, with the practical research and knowledge required for long-term personal financial planning. Students are, in fact, building on what they have learned through their participation in the Stock Market Game, which has reached more than 14 million students since its inception in 1977. Participants master the fundamentals of personal finance, investing and economics as early as fourth grade and become active and engaged learners, seeking out new information, applications, and connections in their daily lives.

An independent study by Learning Point Associates found that students who participated in the Stock Market Game scored significantly higher on mathematics and financial literacy tests than their peers who did not participate. They also found that teachers who taught the Stock Market Game reported the program motivated them to better plan for their future and to engage in financial planning, research, and use of investment products and services. The Stock Market Game has been named the only program that successfully increased scores on the Jumpstart Coalition’s test of high school students’ financial literacy.

O’Connell’s teacher, Tara Boening, says, “Carly is a conscientious student with a shining personality. Her effort and determination are admirable, and she is a true leader in the classroom.” O’Connell loves basketball and enjoys participating in the drama club. Boening has taught sixth grade at Old Hammondtown since 2004. The number of students participating in the Stock Market Club has grown due to the excitement of her students and she is “looking forward to continuing the program, which is an excellent enrichment opportunity.”

Boening and O’Connell will be recognized at an assembly to be held at Old Hammondtown School on March 28, 2013 at 12:45 PM. The event will be attended by students and faculty along with Melanie Mortimer, Executive Director of the SIFMA Foundation.

 

Text of O’Connell Winning Essay:
BOSTON FOR REAL

Your number one stock advice blog! This blog is written by an average person with a pulse on what people like and need.  The information published on this site has made investors into believers. Stock growth starts with the consumer. If you want to stay in touch with consumer trends, follow this intuitive young woman to find out what’s hot in the stock world.

Today’s Post: RING DING, ANYONE?

You must have been living under a rock this past month if you have not heard that the great Twinkies, Ho-Ho’s, Devil Dogs, Snowballs, and many more are off the market. As Hostess filed for bankruptcy, people have gone crazy for the yellow sponge cakes with frosting in the middle. Not surprising to this blogger, people are buying Twinkies on E-bay for $200.  Humorists may say the reason that they are in such demand is because they never go bad, and these sweets can be passed down through generations. The masses have outpoured that a piece of their childhood will be lost if the snacks are no longer produced. Regardless, the Hostess brand is getting phenomenal free advertising on their products. The media circuit has been swarmed with commentaries. Late-night talk show hosts, major newspapers and magazines, and practically every local and national news channel have covered the bakery’s shut-down, though the coverage is less about the operations of a poorly run company, and more about the loss of a beloved snack cake. Nevertheless, the company is getting more advertising to drive up sales when the cakes eventually go on sale again. Consequently, the stock prices of whoever purchases this bankrupt company will jump.

Beyond the positive, initial short-term growth from this recent media blitz, the future of the product is looking good. Flowers Foods Inc. (FLO) is rumored to be a potential buyer. They already have a Tastykake brand, so the manufacturing capabilities are there. I invested in Flowers Foods because beyond the fact that it seemed to be financially wise, it is a company that I had personal interest in owning. Through the Stock Market Game, I learned to trust my instincts and invest in things I liked.

If Flowers Foods buys Hostess, they will show great growth.  If they don’t, they are still a stable company that has shown moderate growth over the past year. As a potential investor, you need to trust your instincts. If after you read this, you have a craving for a “Ring Ding,” invest. 

My mother told me a story of when Coca-Cola changed their soda formula, and the world was outraged. They sold only “New Coke.” That’s when the name Coca-Cola Classic was born, and it blew away the “Pepsi Challenge.”  If Flowers Foods buys Hostess, this is the Hostess brand’s big chance to be reborn.

COMMENTS

From, Serena02567 3 hours ago
These are great tips! Just put 100 shares in the company— hope you’re right!

From, Laurajam045 2 hours and 30 minutes ago
You better be right on these tips. Just invested a lot of money in FLO!

From, Mark4567 2 hours ago
I’m a stockbroker and invest a lot of my money and other people’s money in this company. Hope you’re right!

From, Carly’s Advice 1hour ago
You won’t be disappointed.

From, TaraB4567 40 minutes ago
This will have a positive effect on the company. Their future looks good!

From, carol23 20 minutes ago
My granddaughter wants a Twinkie for Christmas!

From, Carly’s Advice 5 minutes ago
We will see what happens tomorrow. Good luck to anyone who invested!

Mattapoisett Fire Department Receives Grant

on

The Mattapoisett Fire Department has been awarded a $1,939.29 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Application for this grant was filed in May of 2012, to seek funding for the purchase of forestry / brush firefighting gear and equipment. Funding for this program is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and is administered by the Bureau of Forest Fire Control and Forestry.

Successful grantees were on hand for a check presentation ceremony held at Plympton Fire Department in Plympton on March 30. Accepting the grant was Mattapoisett Fire Chief Andrew Murray and Lieutenant Patrick Saltmarsh.

Pictured, left to right: Mattapoisett Fire Chief Andrew Murray, Edward Lambert Jr., Commissioner DCR, Lieutenant Patrick Saltmarsh

Marion Police Investigate Hit & Run

on

On Friday, March 29, 2013 at 11:56PM, Marion Police and Marion Fire/EMS responded to a report of and injured person in the roadway, possibly struck by a vehicle, on Route 6 (Wareham Road), just east of the Point Road intersection.

Several motorists had found the victim, Nathan Andrade, age 35 of Wareham, lying in the road.  The motorists stopped and rendered assistance and called 911.

Marion Fire/EMS treated the victim and transported him to Tobey Hospital in Wareham.  He was later taken by Med Flight helicopter to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, with serious injuries, where he remains as of this date.

Investigators are seeking anyone who may have information on this case to call Marion Police at (508)748-1212.

This incident remains under investigation by Det. Scott Smith and Sgt. Marshall Sadeck of the Marion Police Department and the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section.

New Sign at Town Hall Approved

on

Abutters to the Rochester Town Hall had no objection to a new sign that is to be constructed in front of the building in an area that is currently a garden.

The Zoning Board unanimously approved a variance to the town of Rochester for the sign, which is not to exceed 14 feet in length.

“It sounds like a reasonable request,” Board Member Kirby Gilmore said. “It’s not going to interfere with public safety.”

In other news, the Smith family, of 21 Stewart Rd., was granted a special permit for the construction of an addition onto their current home.

They have been the owners of the property since 1996, and the appeal was for a special permit for the construction of an addition that would allow the Smiths to use their home as a multifamily home where their parents could live with them.

John Scanlon of Scanlon Construction LLC in Middleboro represented the Smiths at the appeal. Scanlon said that the addition would be in the back of the home and not visible from the street.

“It’s nice for the kids to know their parents are right next door and that they’re safe,” said Scanlon. Neighbors vouched for the Smiths, citing a solid relationship with them.

Finally, the board approved motion to grant a special permit to Laurie and George Buler for the operation of a horseback-riding academy at 152 Marion Rd. in Rochester. They also approved a permit for construction to a preexisting structure that houses 12 horses; the Buler’s want to add three more horse stalls to it.

The board granted the approval for the business under the conditions that the number of employees be limited to no more than 5, that the hours of operation be set between 8am and 7pm, that they limit the number of horses to 12, that all parking be off-road, and that any signage shall be in accordance with town bylaws.

Some neighbors voiced concern at the meeting, as well as through a letter to the Board, that large amounts of dust generated from their business could affect the neighborhood. George said that he would take the proper precautions to ensure that the dust would not bother the neighbors.

Laurie said that there is a total of 12 horses there now on two acres of land, some of which were rescued from “kill pens,” and some that are retired horses. She said that 13 total horses are the most they can house at one time. Said also said she has a Stable License.

“It’s my opinion at this time that this academy is compatible with this district,” Gilmore said.

By Nick Walecka

 

Art Students Win Scholastic Competition

on

Seven ORRHS students were acknowledged by the Boston Globe Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards this month, collectively pulling in two Gold Key Awards, two Silver Key awards and four Honorable Mentions.

The two Gold Key Awards, the highest placing, were awarded to Kylie Faison for her charcoal drawing entitled “Stairway” and Marisa Paknis for her charcoal self-portrait. The two Silver Key Awards were given to Jacob Rioux for his pen and ink drawing “Side Door Hall” and Nancy Pope for her charcoal drawing “Tree Portrait.” The Honorable Mentions went to Jacob Rioux for his “Self Portrait,” Andrew Cardwell for his “Bedroom,” Madeline Meyer for her “Madeline Rose” and Brittany Hotte for her “Self Portrait.”

Gold and Silver Key Award winners from throughout the Northeast region gathered on March 3 at the John Hancock Building in Boston for a ceremony presenting their art and acknowledging their accomplishment. Those award winners will also have their pieces displayed in the State Transportation Building at 10 Park Plaza in Boston until April 11.

While these awards run nationally, the Boston Globe sponsors the Northeast region. The competition on all levels seeks to promote the Humanities and, at the national level, to provide scholarships to those seeking a future career in art or writing. There are multiple categories involved with local, regional and national levels with students from 7-12th grade welcome to enter.

For Old Rochester, 20 entries were sent in to the local competition. The pieces were dropped off at Plymouth South High School where they awaited judging. ORRHS’s eight pieces moved on to the regional level where they were awarded the honors previously listed. While no national awards were given to ORRHS students, art teacher Joann Barrett says that is a future goal.

“This was the first year our students have been recognized under my teaching. Winning one of the national awards is definitely a goal we hope to reach in the future,” Barrett said.

Barrett said the Boston Globe awards were not the only competition left on the agenda. Art All-State is the next event for ORRHS art students. Two students from 70 different schools across Massachusetts are invited to spend a weekend at the Worchester Art Museum and Clark University to participate in a collaborative event.

The students are grouped into rooms of 20 students each and receive a small group of visiting professional artists as supervisors. Each group of students and artists, from different mediums of the visual arts, gathers to create an exhibit of their own in their room. The students work Friday and Saturday on their exhibits and present them on Saturday night. Students sleep at Clark University.

Barrett says the event “has a bigger intensity level. It gives the students a good idea what it is to be in a college setting for the arts. It is almost like Project Runway, where these students and artists are all thrown together, each with different talents and passions, and expected to create something. They create such cool things. It is a really great opportunity.”

Art All-State will take place on May 24 and 25. Students will hear back on April 5 whether they were chosen to join in the collaborative event.

By Jessica Correia

Destination Imagination Teams Prep for State

on

If you thought Massachusetts was left without any teams in March Madness when Arizona beat Harvard in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, you were way off.

After strong showings at the Destination Imagination Cape Cod Regional Tournament on March 13, eight teams from Rochester Memorial School advance to the Worcester Polytechnic Institute this weekend for the statewide competition. Other teams from the Tri-Town participated, as well, but RMS represents the most formidable contingent.

Destination Imagination, incorporated in 1999, is a New Jersey-based nonprofit organization with international reach. Its mission is to teach students from kindergarten to college three skills: creativity, teamwork and problem-solving. Massachusetts ranks fourth in the United States in participation with upward of 800 teams, only 60 of which have qualified for this weekend’s competition.

Volunteer Director Tina Rood has overseen RMS’s PTO-funded program for eight years.

“It’s an amazing thing for me to be a part of, but really just to witness, because the work is all the kids’,” Rood said. “As manager, you are there as the adult, the one in charge, and to help your teams with some of the skills, in general. But you cannot help them with the challenges: They have to come up with everything about those themselves. You are there to corral.”

The challenges Rood references change annually for Destination Imagination, and they fall into the following categories: Science, Structural, Improvisational, Fine Arts, Service Learning and Early Learning. In addition, each presentation must tell a story that includes a beginning, middle and end.

“They all tie back into core curriculum, while incorporating each other,” Rood said. “Obviously, experiential learning is a big part of this.”

For the 2013 State Tournament on March 30, RMS’s fourth-grade team will present In Disguise – which involves voodoo, Medusa, the Coliseum and a raccoon – in the Fine Arts category; the fifth-grade team will present Twist-O-Rama – wherein the students have built a device weighing 50 grams and measuring 8.25 inches that can withstand 350 pounds and multiple “ram” impacts – in the Structural category; and the sixth-grade team will present Wind Visible – which features kinetic art, wind power and such ambitious stagecraft as a tree fashioned from tomato cages – in the Science category.

The sixth-grade team is a veteran-laden squad and has competed together for four years. They are considered a favorite this weekend, and have already won a Renaissance Award for their exceptional performance.

“Our whole team, we’ve all been friends throughout the whole thing,” said sixth-grader Brett Rood, Tina’s son. “We’ve grown as a team and worked as a team, and every year we’ve spent our vacations working on this, and we have fun. It’s about learning, but it doesn’t feel like it. ”

RMS parent and Destination Imagination volunteer Jen Kulak agreed.

“This is my first year doing it, and to watch these kids with different backgrounds and abilities transform into a cohesive group that works together, to see their communication skills develop in a just a few months, it’s just such a positive thing,” she said. “In the competition, everyone supports everyone else.”

Kulak added that this attitude starts at the top with Rood.

“Without Tina, there would be no Destination Imagination at this school. She’s the driving force. She’s the leader.”

For her part, Rood said she is looking forward to the atmosphere at WPI’s Harrington Auditorium this weekend. The event is open to the public.

“It’s a celebration of all of the work that has been done during the season,” she said.

As for the students?

Said one team in unison: “The food!”

“The buffet,” Rood laughed, “is always a big hit.”

By Shawn Badgley